North Dakota's teachers union has voted to merge with the state's public employees union.

North Dakota Education Association President Dakota Draper tells the Forum newspaper (http://bit.ly/X6XnJP) that 105 of the 140 delegates on hand Saturday voted to combine with the North Dakota Public Employees Association.

The vote required a two-thirds majority to pass.

The move creates a new entity of about 10,000 members. Draper says it will become official on Sept. 1.

Draper says the two unions already work with each other on a regular basis and it will allow the relationship to become more centralized. He calls the change a "big win for both organizations."